The Sound

Mary Mary | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 21, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B001C94CSO
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (118 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,529 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

The Sound album released in 2008 shows Mary Mary are not ones to shy away from in-your-face declarations of faith, the girls are now more intentional than ever about whom they adore, without for a moment compromising their call to innovation and growth. The introspective 'Seattle' is a prime example, a pensive prayer that asks the Lord to descend upon the soul the same way rain falls on the Emerald City. In the vein of Mary Mary standards 'Can't Give Up Now' and 'Yesterday,' a couple of ballads on The Sound stand out for their passionate delivery: 'I Trust You' (feat. Marvin Winans) and 'I Worship You' are easily the sonic and spiritual plateaus of the album.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An exciting grab-bag of sounds from Mary Mary., October 14, 2008

By 

W. E. Phillips (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Sound (Audio CD)

When Mary Mary released their debut album, Thankful, in 2000, they took the gospel world by storm and flipped it upside down. Never had an artist or group so masterfully combined the sounds of contemporary rhythm and blues and the message of traditional gospel. Thankful went on to become a huge success, with a top 10 R&B single ("Shackles") and a platinum plaque. Their sophomore album, Incredible, was certified gold. Since Mary Mary was so successful, their main prodcucer Warryn "Baby Dubb" Campbell became very in-demand in the contemporary gospel--and even plain R&B--world. Soon, there were many songs that were crafted after the original sound of Mary Mary. Being wise, Erica and Tina refused to keep on with the same sound, so on their self-titled third album, they explored new genres, such as club and even big band.

With this album, they chose to broaden their sound even more, making the title extremely appropriate. Throughout the first half of The Sound, Mary Mary tries their hand at some of the musical trends of the past (and the present) and they of course add their wonderful messages atop the wonderfully produced tracks. "The Sound" is a surprising mix of a 60's girl group tune and surfer pop/rock. The first single, "Get Up," is an inspirational dance track which switches tempos and volumes to excite the listener. "Superfriend" with David Banner is a triumphant hip-hop anthem and "God In Me" utilizes--but doesn't rely one--the vocoder, recently popularized by T-Pain. (But actually... they used it way before him on tracks like "Shackles.") It features Kierra "KiKi" Sheard, whose voice has become much more mature and incredible over the past few years. "Boom" is a R&B up-tempo with a catchy chorus. The second half of The Sound contains a string of gospel ballads that are much more traditional in nature, but they're still a bit contemporary. "I'm Running" has great harmonies, as does "Forgiven Me" with its climactic refrain. "Dirt" is a mid-tempo with a message: a flawed past helps on become a better and more well-rounded individual. "Seattle" is a delicate cry for redemption; "Holy Spirit rain/ like Seattle." And the two final tracks, "I Worship You" and "It Will All Be Worth It," show that the sisters can truly sang... which we, of course, already knew. Honestly, I couldn't be more pleased with this album. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves Mary Mary. Thankful is still by favorite album of theirs, but The Sound is pretty close!

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed, May 24, 2009

By 

AnitaDap - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sound (Audio CD)

I am normally a Mary Mary fan; however, after listening to this album I am truly disappointed. Not only with the quality of music on this CD, but also with their selection of singers on the album. I don't listen to secular music; however when a friend mentioned she was surprised to see David Banner on this CD (who by the way - has extremely explicit lyrics and does not represent God in any way through his music), I was shocked that they would even collaborate with someone with such an image. Not everything labeled gospel is "Godly" and this CD certainly fits that bill. The songs were self-indulgent and in my opinion does not glorify God. I would not recommend this CD.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another excellent Mary Mary CD!, October 22, 2008

By 

DaKa (SC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sound (Audio CD)

Every song on this CD is excellent. I love the radio station format and the mix of musical styles. When I first saw that David Banner was featured on one of the songs, I rolled my eyes...but then I listened to the track. His verse on Superfriend comes across as sincere. Each track has a great beat, but the words are so meaningful. Seattle is one of my favorites on the CD.